Manufacture of shoes



Aug. 6, 1935.

F. N. LA CHAPELLE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Original Filed Dec. 28, 1932 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Application December 28, 1932, Serial No. 649,118 Renewed December 20, 1934 17 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes, and more particularly to the holding of uppers in lasted position until conditions are such that they need no longer be held extraneously by reason, for example, of the setting of cement used to secure them in that position. The invention is herein illustrated by reference to operations performed at the toe end of a shoe, but it is to be understood that it is not thus limited in its applicability.

In lasting the toe ends of shoes with cement it is a common practice to fasten the upper in lasted position by the use of upper-holding or retaining means that is portable with the shoe and is removed from the shoe after the cement has set. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement especially in respect to the manner in which the upper is fastened and held in lasted position. By the novel procedure herein illustrated a continuous binder of flexible fibrous material is severed from a source of supply of binder material and is utilized to hold the upper around the end of the shoe bottom, the binder being fastened to the shoe by fastenings driven into the shoe bottom in such manner as to cause it to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last all around the end of the shoe bottom while the cement is setting. More particularly, in the practice of the novel method in the manner herein disclosed, the binder is first fastened at one end to the shoe and is thereafter pulled inwardly over the shoe bottom under the wipers simultaneously with a movement of the wipers over the shoe bottom, after which the binder is fastened by tacks driven through openings in the wipers in such manner as to clamp it down upon the shoe bottom by the tack heads. Preferably' also the binder, which may be substantially circular in cross-section initially, is fiattened more or less by pressure applied thereto by the wipers. In operating especially upon a shoe of the type illustrated, in which the marginal portion of the upper is lasted over an insole to lie in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last, the method may be conveniently practiced by the aid of wipers having in their wiping faces recesses into which the binder is pulled by the operator, the relation of the binder to the edge of the shoe bottom being determined by shoulders in the recesses.

The novel method will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a bed-lasting machine illustrating how the toe wipers may be used to wipe the margin of an upper inwardly over an insole before the binder is applied;

Fig. 2 shows how the binder is pulled inwardly over the shoe bottom as the wipers are again ad vanced and closed;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and g partly in section, illustrating conditions just prior to the pulling of the binder inwardly over 10 the shoe bottom;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the wipers advanced and closed and the binder pulled inwardly as in Fig. 2 and also flattened by downward pressure of the wipers; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the toe portion of the shoe as it appears with the binder fastened thereto.

While the invention is not dependent upon the use of any particular type of lasting machine, it is herein illustrated by reference to the use of a bed-lasting machine of a well-known type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,018,477, granted on February 2'7, 1912, upon an application of Matthias Brock. For lasting the toe portion of the shoe such a machine is provided with toe-embracing wipers IU which are advanced and closed to wipe the marginal portion of the upper inwardly over the insole by use of a hand lever (not shown) by which movement is imparted to a plunger I2 connected to the wipers by links it. Such a machine is further provided with treadleoperated means, not shown in the drawing, for moving the wipers upwardly to wipe the upper around the toe to the edge of the insole and for also moving them downwardly to press the mar ginal portion of the upper upon the insole during or after the operation of wiping it inwardly over the insole. The invention is herein illustrated by reference to the lasting of a shoe of that type in which the marginal portion of the upper in lasted position lies over the insole in generally parallel relation to the bottom face of the last, and the wipers are movable inwardly to wipe theupper into that relation to the insole.

In lasting the toes of shoes with cement it is a common practice to wipe the marginal portion of the upper materials, including the upper leather,-the box toe stiffener and the lining, inwardly over the insole prior to the application of any upper-holding cement to the shoe, after which the operator retracts the wipers and trims the margin of the toe stiffener and the lining back approximately to the edge of the insole around the toe. It is the common practice then to apply cement to'the marginal portion of the upper leather and to wipe the cement-coated margin again inwardly over the insole by advancing and closing movements of the wipers. Such practice in the lasting of the toe is herein illustrated, although it is to be understood that the utility'oi the method of this invention is not dependent upon the particular character of the operations performed prior to the application of the. toe binder to the shoe. Fig. 1 illustrates how the upper may be wiped inwardly over the insole in the manner above described after the box toe stiffener and lining have been trimmed and after the cement has been applied.

To facilitate practice of the method of this'invention the wipers l0 herein shown are provided in their lower'or wiping faces, which are opposite the bottom face of the last, with recesses 86 terminating short of the wiping edges of the wipers so that shoulders 18 are formed on the wipers in locations not far from the wiping edges, and the wipers are further provided with a plurality of openings 20 extending from the recesses it to their upper faces in locations near the shoulders I 8. After the cement-coated margin of the upper has been wiped inwardly over the insole in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 the wipers are retracted nearly to the edge of the shoe bottom as illustrated in Fig. 3 to receive a binder 22 inserted in the recesses IS, the binder being preferably formed of flexible fibrous material. While the invention is not limited to the use of any particular binder material, it is contemplated that material well suited for the purpose may consist of paper twisted to form a string or cord, as disclosed, for example, in Letters Patent No. 1,729, 169, granted upon an earlier application of mine on September 24, 1929. Such binder material is flexible enough to permit it to assume the proper curvature for engaging the upper around the toe and is yet firm enough to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last all around the toe when fastened to the shoe by tacks driven at considerable distances from one another, as hereinafter described. The binder material may be wound on a reel, and from the source of supply thus provided a binder of proper length may be severed in lasting the toe of each shoe. U

With the wipers in the positions illustrated in Fig. 3 the operator preferably draws binder material from the reel and places it around the toe under the wipers, and thereafter fastens the free end of the material to the shoe by driving a tack t (Fig. 2) at one side of the shoe bottom at the rear of the wipers. By pulling on the binder at the other side of the shoe bottom the operator then draws it into the recesses It in the Wipers at the edge of the shoe bottom, preferably rais-' ing the wipers slightly to provide more room. for the binder. In this manner the binder is pulled against the shoulders it of the wipers. While continuing to pull on the binder the operator again advances and closes the wipers inwardly over the shoe bottom as illustrated in Fig. 2, the binder being maintained in contact with the shoulders it by the pull thereon so that it is moved inwardly over the shoe bottom with the wipers. At the end of this operation the operator preferably forces the wipers downward by use of the treadle means with which the machine is provided for that purpose, thus not only pressing the margin'of the upper firmly down upon the insole but also flattening the binder more or less by'the pressure applied, as illustrated in Fig. 4. While holding the binder thus pressed firmly down upon the shoe bottom the operator drives tacks it through the openings 20 in the wipers to fasten the binder to the shoe, the tacks being driven through the binder and into the shoe and last with their heads in clamping relation to the binder so as to hold it pressed down upon the upper. The tacks may be conveniently driven by means of a hand tacker the nozzle of which is inserted in an enlarged upper end of each opening 29. Either before or after driving the tacks the operator severs the binder from the source of supply of binder material. The binder having been thus fastened to the shoe the operator raises the wipers to clear the binder and then withdraws them from over the shoe bottom. The shoe is thereafter removed from the lasting machine with the binder fastened to it for holding the upper until the cement has set. After the setting of the cement the binder and the tacks by which it is held are removed from the shoe.

It will be evident that the invention thus provides an economical method whereby the upper may be fastened in lasted position and held firmly in that position all around the end of the shoe bottom until conditions are such that extraneous holding means is no longer needed. While the invention has been described with particular reference to the lasting of the upper with cement, it will be understood that itis not thus limited but is applicable, for example, to the lasting of toes in which box toe stiffening material extending inwardly over the insole serves after'hardening to maintain the toe portion of. the upper in lasted position. It is further to be understood that while the invention is illustrated by reference to the manufacture of a shoe in which the marginal portion of the upper lies in lasted position in generally parallel relation to the bottom of the last, it is not limited to the manufacture of shoes of that particular type. As previously suggested, moreover, the invention is not limited to the lasting of the toe ends of shoes but is applicable to the lasting of other portions; for example, the heel ends.

In the appended claims the term sole is used to designate generically the shoe bottom part, herein shown as an insole, over which the marginal portion of the upper is lasted.

It should be understood that unless required by the context the invention is not limited to method steps performed in the precise order in which they are mentioned in the claims.

ving described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods oi making show, which n in laying the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last in suntially parallel relation to the bottom oi the last throughout the width of said marginal portion with cement between the upper and the sole, app to the upper around. the end oi the shoe bottom a continuous binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom in such relation to the binder as to cause it to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last tion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last, so as to lie throughout its width in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last, by the use of end-lasting wipers with cement between the upper and the sole, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom a continuous binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom in different locations along the same portion of the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers and in such relation to the binder as to cause it to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last all around the end of the shoe bottom while the cement is setting, and after the cement has set removing the binder and the fastenings from the shoe.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last into substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of end-lasting wipers with cement between the upper and the sole, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom between the wipers and the bottom of the last a continuous binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom through openings in the wipers in such manner as to clamp the binder down upon the shoe bottom while the cement is setting, and after the cement has set removing the binder and the fastenings from the shoe.

4. That improvement in methods of last ng shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last into substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of end-lasting wipers, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom between the wipers and the bottom of the last a binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom in different locations along the same portion of the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers and in such relation to the binder as to cause it to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last all around the end of the shoe bottom.

5. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last into substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of end-lasting wipers, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom beween the wipers and the bottom of the last a binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings through it and into the last in such locations as to cause it to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom face of the last all around the end of the shoe bottom.

6. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last by the use of end-lasting wipers, thereafter applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom between the wipers and the bottom of the last a binder of flexible fibrous material and severing the binder from a source of supply of the binder material, and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom through openings in the wipers in such manner as to clamp the binder down upon the shoe bottom. I

'7. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last, so as to lie throughout its width in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last, by the use of end-lasting wipers, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom a binder comprising a cord of flexible fibrous material, and fastening the binder to the shoe to hold the upper pressed toward the bottom of the last all around the end of the shoe bottom by driving fastenings through it and into the last in different locations along the same portion oi. the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers.

8. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last, so as to lie throughout its width in substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last, by the use of end-lasting wipers, applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom between the wipers and the bottom of the last a binder comprising a twisted paper cord, and fastening the binder to the shoe for holding the upper in lasted position by driving tacks through it and into the last with the heads of the tacks in clamping relation to the binder in diflerent locations along the same portion of the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers.

9. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly'over a sole on a last by the use of end-lasting wipers, thereafter applying to the upper around the end of the shoe bottom between the wipers and the bottom of the last a flexible binder of material yieldable to pressure and flattening said binder by pressure applied thereto through the wipers, and then fastening said binder to the shoe by driving fastenings through it and into the last in different locations along the same portion of the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers.

10. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last into substantially parallel relation to the bottom of the last by the use of end-lasting 11. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an end of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last by the use of end-lasting wipers, thereafter inserting between the wipers and the bottom of the last a binder of flexible fibrous material and pressing the binder upon the upper by the wipers, and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings through openings in the wipers.

12. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers, fastening one end of a binder of flexible fibrous material to the shoe by driving a fastening at one side of the shoe bottom 'thereafter pulling the binder into position between the wipers and the upper while the wipers are over the shoe bottom by engaging a portion of the binder at the other side of the shoe bottom, and fastening said binder to the shoe to hold the upper in lasted position by driving fastenings in different locations along the same portion of the shoe bottom that is overlapped by the wipers.

13. That improvement in methods-.92 lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over asole. on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers having in the faces thereof that are opposite the bottom of the last recesses terminating short of their wiping edges, thereafter inserting in said recesses a flexible binder of yieldable material and pressing the binder upon the shoe bottom by the wipers, and fastening said binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into, the shoe bottom through openings m the wipers.

14. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers having in the faces thereof that are opposite the bottom of the last recesses terminating short of their wiping edges, retracting the wipers nearly to the edge of the shoe bottom and inserting a binder in said recesses, thereafter moving the wipers and the binder inwardly over the shoe bottom, and fastening the binder to the shoe by 'driving fastenings into the shoe bottom through openings in the wipers.

15. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers having in the faces thereof that are opposite the bottom of the last recesses terminating short of their wiping edges, fastening one end of a binder of flexible fibrous material to the shoe by driving a fastening at one side of the shoe bottom, pulling the binder into said recesses in the wipers by engaging a portion thereof at the opposite side of the shoe bottom,

and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom through openings in the wipers.

16. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers having in the faces thereof that are opposite the bottom of the last recesses terminating short of their wiping edges, retracting the wipers nearly to the edge of the shoe bottom, inserting a binder of flexible fibrous material in said recesses in the wipers and thereafter moving the wipers inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom while pulling on the binder to draw it inwardly with the wipers, and fastening the binder to the shoe by driving fastenings into the shoe bottom through openings in the wipers.

17. That improvement in methods of lasting shoes which consists in wiping the marginal portion of an upper inwardly over a sole on a last around an end of the shoe bottom by the use of end-lasting wipers having in the faces thereof thatare opposite the bottom of the last recesses terminating short of their wiping edges, retracting the wipers nearly to the edge of the shoe bottom, fastening one end df a binder of flexible fibrous material to the shoe by drivinga fastening at one side of the shoe bottom, pulling the binder into said recesses in the wipers and against shoulders in the recesses by engaging a portion thereof at the other side of the shoe bottom,

, moving the wipers inwardly from the edge of the the wipers.

FRED N. LA CHAPELLE. 

